The Match
by bakamiku
Summary: The school's sports orientation's next week, and Hikaru had suggested that the Host Club have a go at basketball. Meanwhile, Tamaki fantasizes of Haruhi as the Host Club's cheerleader...
1. Chapter 1

It was a typical school day at Ouran High School, and the Ouran Host Club was open and running as usual. Kyouya was taking down notes and information about the customers and members of the Host Club as he had always done, leaning on the pillar a few metres away from Tamaki, the Host King.

Haruhi stood up from the chair, and walked down towards Kyouya, looking around the music room, where she had been 'working' for almost half the year. The Hitachiin twins were entertaining customers near the window at the far end of the room, near the window; Hani and Mori accompanied by a group of 'high-to-the-max' fangirls a distance away, and Tamaki, the 'King', displaying his 'princely' antics with a single female customer a few metres in front of　Kyouya.

"I'll always be there for you, like graceful swan and her little duckling…" Tamaki said, as he tilted his customer's face closer to his, looking tenderly into her eyes. The girl's face blushed a light shade of pink, mesmerised by Tamaki's actions. She looked into Tamaki's deep purple eyes, and replied in a soft tone. "Really?"

"Really." Tamaki assured, as he brought her face even closer to his, toll the tip of their noses almost touched.

"Ahhahh" Haruhi passed by the pair. "I'm sure he _will_." She cut in in sarcasm. Tamaki's eyes widened as he hit an exclamation. He turned his head slowly from his customer to Haruhi, who just passed by the red couch he was on.

"Haruhi…" He whimpered. "Its not…"

"its not as if I care, anyway," Haruhi continued in a matter-of-factly tone, as she stopped beside Kyouya and turned around.

"Haruhi." Kyouya said, as he lifted his pen from the notebook momentarily and pushed up his glasses. "Don't you have another designation?" he continued, looking at his notebook.

"Hmm…" Haruhi hummed. "Another one?" He looked at Kyouya.

"Yep. She's the last for the day, I suppose," Kyouya double-checked in his notebook.

"Hmm it seems Haruhi's getting more and more popular with the girls these days" The twins chorused, peeking into Kyouya's notebook from either sides of his shoulders behind. "She seems to be getting more and more designations these few months" They added, as their eyes ran down the list of designations for the day.

Kyouya snapped the book close with his left hand and pushed his glasses. "That's rude." He murmured, as he lifted his head slightly.

"You guys are lucky" Haruhi sighed.

"Ahhahh" The twins chorused. "Its boring, these days" They added, as they slid to the front of the pair. "Speaking of which," Hikaru started, "Isn't our school's sports orientation next week?" Kaoru added, in contrast with Hikaru.

"Next Friday, to be exact." Kyouya corrected. "Have you guys thought of the sports you are doing?" Kyouya continued, looking at the twins.

"Hmm" Hikaru hummed, his thumb and index on his chin. "Its kind of hard to think of any sport that involves only 2 people in the team, and is not rough…" He said, as he wrapped his arms around Kaoru. "What if you are hurt?" He said softly, as he looked at Kaoru. "I only want to pair up with you…" Kaoru added, resting his head on Hikaru's chest, arms around his waist.

Haruhi twitched at the side of the two affectionate twins, as Kyouya started scribbling data into his notebook again.

At the same time, Hani, who was done with his customers, bounced towards Haruhi excitedly.

"Haru-chan, Haru-Chan" He called excitedly, as he clung on to Haruhi's right arm, spinning her in circles clockwise, barely missing the preoccupied Kyouya beside Haruhi. "Have you thought of which sport are you going to do next week?" He looked up at Haruhi inquisitively, both hands holding on to Usa-chan on his back.

"Hmm" Haruhi thought, her index finger touching her lower lip. "I have no idea…"

"Lets have a basketball match then!" Hikaru's sudden outburst cut into Haruhi's thoughts. "We can have a match against the high school team!" He added cheerily.

"Err… But why basketball?" Haruhi asked. "Didn't you want a sport with only 2 members and not rough?" Haruhi answered, half-annoyed.

"Because… we feel like it." Hikaru taunted. A huge sweatdrop ran down the back of Haruhi's head.

"… hah…" She muttered, hanging her head.

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan" Hani tugged Haruhi's sleeves. "You know how to play basketball?" He asked.

"Basketball…" Haruhi muttered, recalling her past, "I remember playing 'A-B-C' with my middle school classmates during P.E…." Haruhi recalled.

"'A-B'C'?" The twins questioned. "Whats that?"

"Err… we take turns to throw the ball into the basket, and the person who gets the ball in moves one step up, I remember…" Haruhi replied, touching her chin.

"Oh! That's commoner's basketball because they don't have money to pay for basketball coaches?" Hikaru asked. Haruhi turned her head towards Hikaru and gave him a murderous stare.

"C-om-mon-er's basketball?" Haruhi replied in a half-murderous tone. "It's just a game…" she added "Got a problem with THAT?" she shot the twins with a murderous glance, eyes flaming.

"… Ha... Ha… Haruhi's scary" the twins flinched, taken aback.

Kyouya pushed up his glasses. "Not a bad idea you have there, Hikaru." He said, with a seemingly-evil grin.


	2. Chapter 2

As Kyouya adjusted his glasses prior to his previous comment, an idea struck the twins.

"We could tailor some jerseys to wear!" They chorused as one. "I bet Haruhi will look _cute_ in a jersey" Hikaru raised his voice deliberately, aware of the occupied Tamaki behind him. Tamaki hit another exclamation, as both twins turned and flashed an evil grin. Tamaki's eyes widened, as he immediately rushed in front of Haruhi, abandoning his customer. "Haruhi! Daddy says you are not to wear a jersey!" He cried, his arms flapping up and down frantically as he did.

"…hah…" Haruhi twitched. She turned her head to both twins. "I don't remember agreeing to anything…"

"Haruhi. Don't forget the 8 million yen debt you owe." Kyouya replied, as his glasses glinted under the room's light.

"………. That's _blackmail_." Haruhi muttered to herself as her head dropped.

"Mummy! Haruhi's ignoring daddy again!" Tamaki cried, looking frantically at Kyouya as he pointed at the unconcerned Haruhi.

"Hai, hai" Kyouya pushed up his glasses, closed his notebook, and began to walk towards the main door.

After club activities the next day, the host club held a club meeting to discuss the details for the sports orientation

"So it's settled then," Kyouya looked up from his notebook. "I spoke to the basketball club yesterday, and they agreed to let us have a match against them." Kyouya added, as he put the book down on the table.

Hani, who was seating beside Haruhi, wrapped his arms around Usa-chan, and leaned forward. "Nene, Kyouya" He looked at Kyouya with concerned eyes. "We have seven members, but basketball teams have five" He continued inquisitively.

"As Hani had said, the current people in the club who can play basketball are only me, Hikaru and Kaoru, Mori, and Tamaki. As for Hani and Haruhi…" Kyouya's voice trailed off.

Silence filled the room as everyone went deep in thought.

"Hmm" Hikaru's sudden hum broke the silence. "Why not Haruhi be our cheerleader?" Kaoru added after his brother. "She's really a _girl_, isn't it?" Hikaru supported. Tamaki, who was seated at the head of the table, widened his eyes. An image of Haruhi in a white bareback top lined with gold, red and green together with a matching mini-skirt, loose socks, white, matching mary-janes and glittering silver-gold pom-poms cheering for him floated into his mind.

"I support!" Tamaki bellowed as he stood up, both hands on the table.

Six pairs of eyes stared at Tamaki in question.

"……" Haruhi's head dropped as a huge drop of sweat rolled down the back of her head.

"I refuse."

"Isn't Haruhi's identity a _boy_ now?" Hani said bluntly, ignoring Tamaki's sudden outburst as he fiddled with Usa-chan. "If she wears a cheerleaders' costume, everyone will know she's a girl and she can't stay in the club anymore, isn't it?" Hani stated innocently.

"As Hani had said," Kyouya paused, as he pushed up his glasses. "Haruhi will have to give up her job as a host if her true identity as a girl is revealed…" He stated in a matter-of-fact.

"Hmm we don't really mind, since we _are_ in the _same class_ as Haruhi, but Tono, you only get to see Haruhi during club activities, am I right?" The Hitachiin twins chorused, as they duplicated each others' actions, glancing at Tamaki with an evil grin.

Tamaki's eyes widened upon the comment. He turned stone white on the spot, mouth and eyes wide open.

"So Haruhi has to either be the reserve or play in the match!" Hani said cheerily, oblivious to Tamaki's actions as he held up Usa-chan high up with his hands.


End file.
